The Chang'an Youth Episode 9 Recap
> The Chang'an Youth Recap
After their outing, Shen Dieyi invited everyone to a restaurant for drinks. Once they had eaten and drunk to their fill, the group headed home in high spirits. As Shen Dieyi was being escorted back to her room, she felt thirsty, and Xinyuan went to fetch some water. Meanwhile, Yang Zian passed by her room and, hearing her voice, was drawn inside. There, a heavily intoxicated Shen Dieyi slurred her words, asking him not to leave.
She then blurted out, "Can't you see I like you?" and confessed that she even enjoys losing to him. Stunned and flustered, Yang Zian rushed outside to the well, pouring cold water over himself to regain composure, eventually collapsing and falling asleep on the ground. The next morning, Shen Dieyi awoke with no memory of the previous night's events. Dugu Muxue found Yang Zian in the courtyard and carried him back to his room.
A doctor diagnosed Yang Zian with a severe cold, advising a bland diet and plenty of rest. Xinyuan later told Shen Dieyi that Yang Zian had left their room in a hurry the previous night and was found by the well. Feeling guilty that Yang Zian might have fallen ill because of her, Shen Dieyi dedicated herself to caring for him, diligently taking notes in class for him, and ensuring he took his medicine and dressed warmly.
Yang Zian, however, struggled internally, trying to maintain distance, reminding himself that Dieyi was a man and such thoughts were inappropriate. He repeatedly urged her to leave him to rest, though Shen Dieyi persisted in her care, deeply worried about his health. Tang Jiuhua, observing Shen Dieyi’s constant attention to Yang Zian, confronted her, asking if she harbored feelings for him. Shen Dieyi vehemently denied it, explaining her actions stemmed solely from guilt.
Tang Jiuhua, satisfied, jokingly declared her his "wife," to which Shen Dieyi playfully retorted. Later, Bai was seen playing with a wax seal that caught Shen Dieyi and Tang Jiuhua’s attention because its pattern matched Shen Dieyi’s Sinan pendant. Bai revealed that such seals were commonly sold by street hawkers, leading Tang Jiuhua to conclude that the pendant was not a unique clue.
Separately, Xinyuan expressed concern to Shen Dieyi that her close proximity to Yang Zian might expose her secret. Shen Dieyi assured him she would be careful. Xinyuan then noticed the Sinan pendant’s pattern, remarking that it looked strikingly similar to court patterns and questioned its origin. Shen Dieyi, caught off guard, concocted a story about her merchant ancestors acquiring it from nomads and her wearing it as an amulet since childhood.
Xinyuan accepted her explanation and promised not to tell anyone, sealing it with a pinky swear. He then asked Shen Dieyi for a favor. Xinyuan invited Shen Dieyi to Changsheng Restaurant for a lavish meal, intending to confess his feelings. He described the girl he liked as spirited, prone to anger and even physical outbursts, yet endearing and familiar. While he spoke, Shen Dieyi’s attention drifted to Yang Zian, who had just entered with his father.
Seeing Yang Zian cough and leave, Shen Dieyi impulsively followed him, completely missing Xinyuan’s subtle revelation that the girl he described was her. Xinyuan, realizing Shen Dieyi had not heard him, was left in despair, pondering his unrequited love. He also briefly wondered if Yang Zian harbored feelings for Shen Dieyi but dismissed the thought, knowing Yang Zian believed her to be a man. Shen Dieyi caught up to Yang Zian, explaining her worry after seeing him cough.
Yang Zian clarified he had merely choked. When Shen Dieyi mentioned she was at the restaurant to help Xinyuan with love advice, Yang Zian internally reasoned that her concern was typical of her kind nature towards everyone, and he should not misinterpret it. Meanwhile, Tang Jiuhua witnessed Han Yu’er harshly scolding a small girl in the market. Mistaking Han Yu’er for a cruel and spoiled young lady, Tang Jiuhua intervened and condemned her actions.
Han Yu’er, annoyed, walked away, but Tang Jiuhua followed, demanding an explanation. He then saw Han Yu’er discreetly give the girl money and advise her to be careful while searching for her parents. It turned out the girl was an abducted child, unknowingly purchased by the Han family’s steward.
Bound by household rules against arbitrary dismissal, Han Yu’er had staged the public reprimand to create a pretext for the girl’s departure, providing her with the means to find her real family. Realizing his error, Tang Jiuhua apologized, but Han Yu’er, still annoyed, seized something from him as recompense before leaving. Back at Shangyi School, the quality of the food deteriorated noticeably.
When Shen Dieyi went to the kitchen to help, Aunt Li informed her that Aunt Zhang, the cook, had taken leave because her child had gone missing over ten days ago. Aunt Zhang was reportedly distraught, and the local authorities had initially dismissed it as a child running off to play. However, as more than ten children from the area went missing, the government began to investigate.
This wave of disappearances had deterred anyone from applying for the vacant chef position. Hearing this, Yang Zian and Xinyuan visited Aunt Zhang’s family. The child’s father confirmed the widespread disappearances, explaining that fear had paralyzed the community. Yang Zian, connecting the recent surge in missing children to the period when the bad money case was "solved," suspected a link between the two. Acting on his suspicion, Yang Zian went to investigate the abandoned money-casting factory.
While he was examining the site, he sensed someone behind him. Turning quickly, he threw a punch, only to find Shen Dieyi rubbing her bruised eye. Shen Dieyi, complaining about his heavy hand, explained that she also suspected a connection between the cases. She recalled being bumped by a small figure when she was previously kidnapped at the factory, deducing that the bad money criminals, having lost their original source of income, might now be turning to child abduction.
Together, they searched the factory and discovered several pieces of children’s clothing, confirming their suspicions. Yang Zian, concerned about the complexity and danger of the case, urged Shen Dieyi to return to Shangyi School and not get further involved. He emphasized that he no longer needed her help. However, Shen Dieyi, moved by the plight of the missing children and reflecting on her own past as a child without parents, insisted on helping.
She spoke passionately about the bullying and ridicule such children endure, and the heartbreaking possibility of them forgetting their parents and their way home. Seeing her tear-filled eyes, Yang Zian relented but made her promise to follow all his instructions. Soon after, Xinyuan, Tang Jiuhua, and Dugu Muxue approached Yang Zian and Shen Dieyi. Noticing Shen Dieyi’s bruised eye, they inquired about it, to which she jokingly attributed it to a donkey kick.
Yang Zian explained they were investigating the child disappearance case, which he believed was linked to the bad money operation, an act he deemed outrageous. Outraged by this atrocity in the capital, Xinyuan, Tang Jiuhua, and Dugu Muxue all volunteered to join the investigation. Yang Zian agreed, recognizing that more hands would expedite the process. Xinyuan then used a map to pinpoint that all reported child disappearance locations converged around Ningxiang Pavilion, making it a key area of interest.
Dugu Muxue, being the most skilled fighter, was tasked with monitoring Ningxiang Pavilion for suspicious individuals. Tang Jiuhua explained that wealthy families' demand for child servants fueled child abduction, and offered to gather information from Han Yu'er about the slave trade. Yang Zian then divided the remaining tasks: he would gather updates from the authorities, Xinyuan would search for other clues, and Shen Dieyi would remain at Shangyi School to facilitate communication.
Shen Dieyi suggested they adopt a team name: the "Five Tigers of Shangyi School." While some found the name a bit common, Xinyuan proposed the "Five Scholars of Shangyi School," which everyone agreed upon. They then enthusiastically devised a unique hand gesture for their newly formed team.
